COOK OF THE WEEK - ZUCCHINI RECIPES

A relative newcomer to America, the zucchini squash has proved itself to be a very versatile vegetable that can be used in side and main dishes as well as in breads and desserts. The zucchini is a member of the melon and cucumber family. Although zucchini has been eaten in South and Central America for years, the variety of summer squash that is familiar was developed in Italy. The name zucchini comes from the Italian term “zucchino” meaning small squash. It has only been in the last 30 years that zucchini has become well-known and a favorite of gardeners in the United States. homecooking.about.com
My mother, Margaret Raber, was an excellent cook and in the later years coaxed dad into trying some of the new recipes that she heard on the radio or saw on the television cooking shows (Julia Child and Graham Kerr—the “Galloping Gourmet”). So our family was introduced to zucchini probably about as soon as it was becoming popular in the Midwest, and dad added it to his garden soon after.
Mom introduced zucchini to friends and they decided that the next year they would include it in their garden as well. Not knowing that zucchini are a very prolific plant, they planted a few HILLS of them. Needless to say, they had more zucchini than they needed; and after using as much as they wanted, and giving as much as they could away, they still had quite a bit. (This was before the versatility of the vegetable was fully known.) That was the only time they planted zucchini.
Here are some recipes to show just how versatile this vegetable is:

Zucchini Patties
Sherlie A. Magaret,
allrecipes.com
2 cups grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
cheese
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, onion, flour, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and salt. Stir well enough to distribute ingredients evenly.
Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop zucchini mixture by heaping tablespoonful, and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden. Makes 12 patties.
It would be remiss not to include a recipe for Ratatouille as it is a dish made with not only zucchini but many vegetables. If you remember, this was a “comfort food” from his childhood for the food critic in the movie of the same name.